Folding furniture.



w. 31011, FOLDING FURNITURE.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 31, 1908.

I Patented Jan. 12, '1909.

f WITNESSES.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

WILLIAM RABIGH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO PAULROTHE, OF

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLDING- FURNITURE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TVILLIAM RABICH, citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Folding Furniture, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improve ments in folding furniture; and itconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fullyset forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair unfolded,showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thesame; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the chair in a folded position; Fig.at is a sectional detail on the line H of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is asectional detail showing the plug in the bottom sockets of thechair-legs.

The present invention is an improvement in folding furniture of thecharacter referred to in my U. S. Patent 886,072 dated April 28, 1908,and has for its object to provide a folding arrangement which willmaterially simplify the construction of the article over that shown bythe patent, such simplification being particularly directed to the meansfor looking the piece of furniture (a chair in the present instance) ineither its folded or unfolded position. It consists in further detailsof construction the advantages of which will be readily apparent from adetailed description of the invention which is as follows Referrin tothe drawings, 1, 1, 2, 2, represent two f olding frames or membershinged about the opposite ends of a rod 3, the lower ends of the membersterminating in sockets 4 for the insertion of wooden or rubber orcomposition plugs 5, which when resting on the floor will not scratchthe same. The members 1, 1, are extended upwardly as shown by 1', 1,said extensions forming the sides of the back of the chair. The back maybe finished in any approved manner and for a plain chair may be providedwith slats a.

The upper ends of the members 2, 2, are connected by a transverse rod 6,the opposite ends of which play freely in the slots 8 of Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed August 31, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Serial No. 451,082.

the members 7 forming the side metal strips of the seat S. The rear endsof the members '7 turn upwardly and terminate in loops 8 adjacent to themembers 1, 1, said loops loosely encompassing a rod 9 connecting themembers 1, 1, immediately above the rear of the seat S. The rod 9 isloosely embraced also by the lower ends of the metal members 6 whichenter into the construction of the back. To the projecting ends of therod 6 are pivotally coupled the forward ends of the curved connectingside links 10, the rear ends of said links terminating in outwardlyprojecting buttons 11, the shanks of which travel in the slots 8 of theforwardly enlarged portions of the arm-rest links 12, hinged to thebases of the extensions 1, 1. The links 12 are provided with lobes 13 towhich the wooden arm-rests 14 are secured. The forward end of the slot 8terminates in an upwardly-directed recess 1 into which the button 11 (orrather the shank thereof) settles behind a cam formation or roundedshoulder 15 for the unfolded position of the chair. The forward end ofthe link 10 terminates in an inwardly deflected finger (Z which, for thefolded position of the chair settles snugly against the adjacent curvededge of the upper end of the member 2, said edge serving as a bearingfor the finger, the friction between the parts preventing any accidentalunfolding of the chair. To open the chair the friction between thefinger (Z and the member 2 must be overcome by the operator.

lVhen the chair is unfolded, it will remain so even when picked up byseizing the same by the back, since the shoulders 15 frictionally lockthe links 10 against any rearward travel along the slotted arm-restlinks 12. By seizing the free end of the seat with one hand however, andthe upper end of the back with the other hand, then pulling or swingingthe seat toward the back, the buttons 11 will become dislodged from therecesses r and caused to travel in the slots 8'. At the same time therod 6 will travel rearwardly along the slots 8 and the desired collapseof the chair takes place (Fig. The purpose of the fingers d has alreadybeen alluded to; suffice it to say however, that when the frictionbetween them and their abutments 2, 2, has been overcome by a bers inhinged relation to one another, one

pair having extensions forming the sides of the chair-back, a seathinged at the base of the extensions slotted members disposed at thesides of the seat, arm-rest slotted links hinged to the bases of theextensions, links having their upper ends free to travel in the slots ofthe arm-rest links, a transverse rod coupling the upper ends of one pairof the hinged members and traveling in'the slots of the slotted membersof the seat, the lower ends of the links being hinged to the ends of thetransverse rod, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding chair, two pairs of members in hinged relation to oneanother, one

pair having extensions forming the sides of the chair-back, a seathinged between the bases of the extensions, slotted members forming thesides of the seat, slotted armrest links hinged at one end to the basesof the extensions, the forward ends of the slots having upwardlydirected recesses provided with a cam formation or shoulder at theforward terminals of the slots, connecting links having buttonstraveling in said armrest slots, a transverse rod coupling the upperends of the shorter pair of hinged members and traveling in the slots ofthe slotted seat-members, the ends of the rod being in hinged connectionwith the adjacent ends of the connecting links, and inwardly directedfingers formed on the hinged ends of the last named links for engaging40 the adjacent edges of the shorter pair of hinged members for thefolded position of the chair, substantially as set forth. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM RABICH.

\Vitnesses EMIL STAREK, J 0s. A. MICHEL.

